Hi,
My name is Lillian and I'll be leading you through a brief mindful movement exercise to facilitate connection with your body.
This is a somatic movement practice,
Which means rather than having your focus on your body's form or execution of movement,
You will be bringing your attention to how you feel while moving.
Feeling here is key.
This practice may benefit you in calming your mind and centering yourself.
I would suggest doing this practice before you commence in your daily work or when you need a little bit of break throughout your day.
Okay,
Let's get started.
So begin by simply assessing your energy level.
Do you feel high energy,
Low energy,
Or somewhere in between?
Let yourself respond to your current energy level with any movement of your body.
So for example,
If you have high energy,
You can jump around,
Shake things out,
Let out any funny sounds or exhales or do a little jig.
And if you have low energy,
You can lay down on the ground or find a comfy couch,
Wrap yourself in a blanket,
Roll up in a ball,
Yawn through your mouth,
Or anything in between,
Like some gentle stretching.
So take another one minute to let your body respond to your current energy level through movement.
Try your best to follow impulse without judging yourself for the way your body is moving.
Simply respond to what feels good.
Okay,
So wherever you find yourself now,
I invite you to come to your feet.
And if standing is inaccessible,
You can find a seated position and modify your movement accordingly.
Bring your awareness to where your feet are meeting the ground.
Notice any sensation of weight that comes alive through your feet as you make contact with the floor.
And start to shift your weight side to side,
Forward and back,
As if you were making an imprint of the sole of your foot to the ground.
Let your joints of your ankles,
Knees,
And hips relax.
And with this shifting of weight,
Let yourself move into a comfortable sway.
Your eyes can be open or closed.
However,
Let your internal focus be on the feeling of this sway.
Notice the element of ground underneath you.
And notice the element of space or air around you.
Let this sway rise up through your hips and up through your spine.
Move your spine in any way that feels good.
Remember,
Your spine can bend forward and back.
It can curve from side to side.
And it can also rotate.
So allow your spine to dance the way that it wants to dance.
And as you do this,
Be sure to relax through your neck and all the muscles in your face.
Okay,
So you can continue to shift your weight and play with a sway.
And we're going to now include our breath and arms.
So take a deep breath in and let your arms stretch away from your center.
They can stretch in any direction.
And as you exhale,
Let your arms melt back into center.
They can come back to your body in any direction.
Let's do this together five more times.
So take a breath in,
Stretch out your arms.
And exhale,
Let your arms melt back to center.
Inhale to stretch.
And exhale to melt.
Inhale to stretch.
Exhale to melt.
Inhale to stretch.
And exhale to melt.
One last time,
Inhale to stretch.
And exhale to melt.
And take this last moment to come to stillness.
You can place your hands on your body in any way that feels grounding.
Take a few more conscious breaths as you bring your awareness back into the room around you.
Give yourself some gratitude for taking time for this practice today.
And thank your body for all the energy it provides.
